Page 30 of Reign

I clamped my mouth shut, my nostrils flaring. Answering him back probably wasn’t the best way to go—but...fuck it! I jumped up, shoving my own chair back, and glared at him. “If you want me to believe a single word you say,” I hissed as I gathered my courage and stalked right up to him, “then you will let me talk to him and make up myownmind about who’s telling the truth!”

“I am!” He snarled, his fists clenched.

Anger radiated off him, and I fought the urge to step back. Instead, I took a step forward, slammed my hands on my hips and glowered up at him, my heart hammering. I was too angry to step away, despite the warning howls that echoed in my skull. I shut the noise down. No matter how gorgeous this dangerous man is, he could not just invade my home and take over my life and not expect me to fight. “How the hell do I know that? All I know is you broke in, killed most of our men, somehow got the man I thought to be my fiance to betray the man who I believed was my father, knocked my father out in front of me, used some kind of supernatural power to heal my ankle, and then gave me the best fucking orgasm I can remember without even touching me!” My chest was heaving as I let my anger have free reign.

His eyes flared with red flame.Oh shit! Supernatural, then!I had no chance of escape, and I knew it. He moved so quickly I couldn't even flinch away. His hand speared my hair, and his mouth descended on mine. Lust washed through me like a tidal wave. His mouth moved over mine, demanding I submit. And, goddammit, I did. I kissed him back frantically, sliding my tongue along his, my hands clutching at his top like I was trying to climb inside his skin. He devoured me. Taking everything I offered. There was nothing else, only him, his taste, his scent, the feel of his rigid body against mine, his steel arms encasing me in warmth and strength. He filled me, completely eradicating that empty space in my chest. And I knew. I knew this was where I was supposed to be. This man, this total stranger, somehow, he was my world. It was that shattering realisation that filled me with utter terror. I was at his mercy, and I had no idea what to do about it.

Connor pulled away first. Our gazes locked, and we both panted heavily. His hands dropped from my waist, and I shivered at that loss of contact, but at least my brain could work. I uncurled my grip from him and stepped back. Not to get away, just so that I didn't grab him again. God, what was wrong with me? Was he using his supernatural voodoo on me again?

His eyes flared, and he raked his gaze slowly from my face down my body, setting my skin on fire as he trailed his gaze back up, lingering on my breasts as if he could see straight through my robe to my skin beneath. My nipples tightened instantly.Traitors!I crossed my arms over my chest.

His throat bobbed, his jaw tightened, and he abruptly stepped away, banging into his chair and sending it skidding across the balcony with a clatter. “Don’t for one second think that I am letting you go again. You are mine, Ember, just as I am yours. Rex Manivera is not your father. He is a supernatural crime lord. He was going to sell you to the highest bidder. He has fucked with your mind, taken your memories of the people who love you, of your mate—me! And for that alone, I will rip his fucking heart out!"

I swallowed at his words, and he took another breath blowing it out steadily, clearly trying to get a hold of his emotions.

"I'll be patient, Firecracker. I'll wait as long as I can, give you the space you need to remember, but I won't wait forever. I need you under me. I need to be inside you. I need to mark you as mine again—especially now." His voice was raw, not much louder than a gravelly whisper. His attention settled on my stomach. Desire darkened his face again, and his fingers curled into fists. My gaze dropped to where an impressive bulge strained at the zipper of his cargo pants. My whole body went limp. I wanted to encourage him, to drop my robe and offer myself up as a willing sacrifice. But I didn't. He was right. I needed to remember him, to remember us.

He raked a hand through his hair, mussing it. “I should let you be for a while. Come to the living area where we were last night when you are dressed.”

I swallowed and nodded. As soon as the door closed behind him, I rushed into my clothes. Jeans, a fitted tee, and trainers. I pressed my ear to the door and listened—hard. No heavy breathing and I couldn't sense him on the other side. Maybe he needed a moment away from me, too.

Chapter 11

Ember

I quickly crossed my room,grabbed the knife off the breakfast tray and dropped to my hands and knees. I looked at the knife. Did I know how to use a weapon? I had no idea, but it felt natural to pick it up, so maybe I did. Connor didn’t seem the type to have a weak girlfriend, either. I grinned. And if that was the case, he’d understand my next move. If Connor wouldn’t take me to Rex, I’d find Rex myself. If that asshole wasn’t my father, that meant he’d kidnapped me, lied, and kept me prisoner for months. He’d stolen my life and my mind, and, godsdammit, I wanted it back!

Carefully, I edged out onto the balcony. Stone balustrades that had gaps between them made it easy to peer across the gardens without being seen. The tall, elegant man with the bright blue hair stood with his back to me. He inhaled and his eyes honed in on the balcony, then he shrugged and turned fully away to talk with another big male. This one had silver hair and seemed to have the weirdest purple mist hanging around him. A whimper in my skull had me shaking my head. I had no painkillers with me, and my headache was coming back. My stomach churned too. Damn it! Maybe I’d eaten too much. Too late now. I just hoped I wouldn’t throw up before I got to Manivera.

Another ridiculously handsome man with midnight skin and a shaved head called out as he strode down the path. “B’nar! Stone! Boss wants you ready inside! Reed and I will take over guarding this part of the gardens.”

I took my chance while they were all concentrating on each other. Staying low, I ran across the balcony and then vaulted over the balustrades onto the next part of the terrace. This one was outside a guest room. The doors were smashed, and glass littered the floor. I crouched low and ran through the empty room to the door. Holding my breath, I slowly twisted the door handle. The door clicked open. Breathing a sigh of relief, I peered out. At the far end of the corridor, a woman with long blonde hair faced away from me. I darted from the room and ran in the opposite direction, hoping she wouldn’t turn around before I got to the end of the corridor. There were no shouts, so I kept going. No guards stopped me. It was oddly disconcerting that there weren’t any when I’d expected to have to fight my way out. I ducked into a store cupboard when I heard Connor’s deep voice inside Rex’s office.

“Yep, got it. I’m out.” His footsteps approached my hiding place. “Dammit, Shannon, I’m being as quick as I can. Tell them to go to where we arranged. We’ll wait there for her.” His voice wasn’t much more than a growl. Through the horizontal slats of the door, I saw him stride closer, holding a phone to his ear. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him, and for a moment, I thought he’d heard my gasp. He seemed to hesitate outside my hiding place. He swallowed, and his nostrils flared. “Yeah, almost. No, don’t! Give her some time. She’ll be where we expected in a few minutes.”

If he was waiting for me to come out of my room, I wondered how long he’d give me before he came looking. I relaxed when he continued walking and disappeared. Cautiously, I peered through the slats. I was about to dart out of my hiding place when Valentina crept down the corridor towards the office door. She was covered in dust and blood. I narrowed my eyes. It didn’t look like hers. In her hand she held a gun, and on her right thigh she had a knife strapped. Had she managed to hide from Connor all this time? I almost called out to her when I remembered my distrust of this woman.Housekeeper, my arse.

She stealthily approached the office door and pushed it open with her foot, her gun held in a steady grip. After a couple of seconds she disappeared. Swallowing down my disquiet, I stepped out of my hiding place. Valentina with a gun was bad news. It only confirmed that Rex had been lying to me.

Cautiously, I tiptoed to the open office door. I strained my ears. It was silent. The only sounds were the birds twittering outside, and the deep murmur of male voices further in the house. I stepped in, relieved when the room was empty. My gaze flitted to the safe. The reinforced door that hid it from view was still closed. It looked like a floor to ceiling mirror. It was a good hiding place, unless you happened to notice the tiled floor near the very edge of the mirror was scraped slightly—for no apparent reason. Either Connor hadn’t found it, or he wasn’t interested in what was in the safe and hadn’t bothered trying to get in. Valentina had disappeared. There had to be a way out down through the gym. My stomach twisted. If she came back, I was fucked. My butter knife wasn’t going to stop a bullet.

In the far corner of the room a set of steps curved down to the floor below where the gym was located. There was an ornate floor to ceiling gate covering the entrance to the steps. I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. It was open. Valentina had to be down there.

Clutching my pathetic weapon, I slowly descended into the gym. It had to be where Connor was keeping Rex. It was the only ‘down’ Connor could have referred to the night before. I shook my head, trying to erase the headache that had returned with a vengeance, and swallowed down a wave of nausea. Fear skittered down my spine when I realised most of the lights were off. I’d never been down to the lower floor, but it was clear it was more than just a gym. Therewasa gym to my left and it was shrouded in shadow, but it was the long corridor that disappeared into the darkness that hooked my attention. A sliding glass door separated it from the training area. One that was open. I darted into the shadows at the edge, trying to calm my breathing enough to listen. Where was Valentina?

Dread tightened my belly, but I’d come this far, and if I didn’t find Rex now, I knew Connor would never let me near him again. A quick glance over my shoulder told me no one was there.

“This is a bad idea,” I muttered, but crept forward anyway.

Along the corridor, glass rooms that looked more like cells were illuminated. The walls between them were brick, but the whole front was glass. The first two were empty, but the next one wasn’t. My heart lurched. Jed had his eyes closed and his head tilted back against the wall. His knees were bent up, and his forearms rested loosely on them.

“Jed?”

His eyes snapped open. “Ember? What the fuck are you doing down here? Where’s Connor?” He darted a look behind me.

“Not here. Why are you locked in here?”

“Oh, come on, Ember,” his face twisted. “You think your mate is going to let me near you?”

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